


After the Fact

by 24hrstogo



Category: Criminal Minds (US TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-11
Updated: 2019-07-11
Packaged: 2020-05-01 17:55:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19182835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/24hrstogo/pseuds/24hrstogo
Summary: idk reid asks hotch out and stuff. the only mature part is at the very end and its pretty mild, comparatively, but i figured i should mark it anyway.





	1. Chapter 1

It’d been a while since Spencer Reid started splitting his time evenly between profiling with the BAU and lecturing, so he had gotten used to late, uninterrupted nights in at his desk, mulling over various case files and statistics. When Spencer suggested the idea of this permanent change, Emily was all too ready to approve the idea. She thought it was nice to see him relax for a change, albeit slightly, and not holding himself responsible for every little thing. She let him take an unused office near his old desk; that way he could have a solitary space to go over both his lesson plans and BAU case files.

 

Emily knocked on the window of an oblivious Reid and waved goodnight, to which he responded with a jolt, a sigh of relief, and a weak wave back. He glanced at the clock and was surprised to see it was already 8 PM. After the unit chief walked away, he huffed and slunk back into his chair. He glanced at the stack of unorganized paperwork on his desk and let out a small laugh. He couldn’t help but think of Hotch and the sea of paperwork his former boss dealt with in a much more organized fashion. He used to stay late quite often in the earlier days; profiling took its toll on him, but he did enjoy the monotony of desk work at times. In fact, in this regard Aaron Hotchner and Spencer Reid are quite similar, he thought. The two shared a rational way of thinking and enjoyed problem solving, from sudoku, to legal battles, to profiling; all attracted the two men for the same reason. Reid missed having someone around to actively listen to his prolonged tirades of statistics and theories. Hotch was one of the few people who never cut him short, if it could be helped. Spencer sighed and realized he had exhausted his productivity for the evening by letting his thoughts get carried away considering his feelings toward Hotch.

 

It wasn’t that he didn’t see him anymore. Now that he’s out of witness protection, he hangs out with the team frequently, but it’s not the same. He lingered over his desk after gathering his things for the weekend, and after a moment, he picked up his phone and sent a text.

 

‘ _Hey. Jack’s on that overnight field trip for school this weekend, right? Are you free to meet for a couple of drinks this evening? - Reid’_

 

He shoved his phone in his pocket and locked the door to his office before heading to his car.

 

He jumped when he felt his phone buzz.

 

‘ _Yes. Meet me at the usual place in 30 min?_ ’

 

He grinned. ‘ _Alright, see you then._ ’

 

Reid arrived first. He got a table for two and set his stuff down.

 

“What are you having?” The waitress asked.

 

“Oh, um... I’ll have a water and a glass of br-“ Reid paused. “Actually, I’ll have a Bud Light.”

 

\---

 

It was relatively late, so Aaron had been home for a few hours. He quickly put on a nicer shirt than the one he was wearing - not to impress Reid, but because he didn’t want to show up in public wearing a shirt with holes. Of course, he didn’t want his friend to see him in his pajamas, either. Something about the thought of seeing Reid made him dizzy, he did see him a couple weeks ago when he got together with Prentiss and Rossi, but seeing him alone this time was different. Hotch is by no means stupid, but being around someone who could tell you almost everything about almost anything could make _anyone_ nervous. Hotch liked being around Reid, though, he could listen to him talk for hours. He shook his head and realized he got lost in his thoughts again, so he grabbed his jacket and his keys, and locked the door behind him.

 

“Hey! Sorry I’m a little late. I ran into a bit of traffic. How is everything?” Hotch said and met Reid’s extended hand with a pat on the shoulder before sitting down across from him.

 

Hotch immediately noticed how out of character it was for Reid to be drinking a bud light instead of a brandy, or some , and he wanted to examine it. But any conclusion he would come to would be too far fetched for him to safely believe, so he chalked it up to the other man broadening his horizons.

 

“Hey, great to see you! Everything’s really great, actually. How’s Jack?” Spencer asked with a wide grin.

 

“He’s good, but you know… He _is_ a teenager.”

 

“Ah. I don’t think that I ever was a teenager”

 

Hotch laughed and looked down at his hands, thumbs twiddling on the table. He looked up at Reid, ready to end the almost-but-not-quite-yet-awkward pause, but was promptly interrupted by the waitress.

 

“What can I get for you?”

 

“I’ll just have a beer, thanks.” Hotch answered.

 

“Bud light ok?” She asked.

 

Hotch nodded. The waitress gave Spencer a look up and down before leaving. _Every single time_ , Hotch thought. _He never even notices._

 

“So, Emily busy?” Hotch joked.

 

Reid furrowed his brow. “I... don’t know. I don’t think so? Why?” He tried not to look disappointed.

 

“Just a joke.” Hotch smiled. “As in, you invited me out just because she was busy.”

 

Reid sighed in relief and looked down with a small laugh. “No.”

 

“Anyway, think you can tell me about what’s going on at the BAU?”

 

“Do you _really_ wanna talk about that?”

 

“Good point.” Hotch smiled. “I really don’t.”

 

“So,” Reid started, “I read something interesting the other day about bees.”

 

Hotch felt his face get hot, but promptly ignored it and let Reid continue about bees for as long as he wanted.

 

Almost as long.

 

“It’s uh,” Hotch hesitated. “It’s getting pretty late and I have to drive home, so I can’t drink any more. Do you wanna come back to my place and watch a movie? I have Star Wars on DVD” Hotch said before he could filter his words enough to catch himself basically asking Spencer on a date. _Except not really, because we’re just friends. And friends hang out like that. It’s not weird. Why am I thinking about it? Shut up._

 

Reid couldn’t hide a wide smile. “Yeah, I’d like that. You’re still at the same apartment, right?”

 

“Yes. It’s only about five minutes away.” He answered, and Reid slowly nodded, unable to end the prolonged eye contact between the two men. “I’ll see you soon.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter... 2....

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry it took so long to update but yall honestly not missing much

Reid very ungracefully plopped down on the far end of the couch from Hotch and exhaled a sigh of relief. And exasperation. At himself. He could no longer deny that that nagging feeling to get closer to his former boss might have _something_ to do with some more-than-platonic feelings for his former boss. But Hotch is straight, so, he decided to just ignore those feelings.

 

His thoughts were interrupted by Hotch walking into the room and handing him the large bowl of popcorn and a beer he asked for.

 

“Thanks, Hotch.”

 

Hotch sat down. “Aaron.” He suggested. “You ready?”

 

“Yup.” Reid grinned. “Let’s do this.”

 

While the movie played Hotch glanced occasionally at Reid. He was actually somewhat surprised that Reid wasn’t spouting various trivia about the franchise, not that he would have minded. Episode IV turned into Episode V, and halfway through Reid broke the silence with a yawn.

 

“You good?”

 

“Yeah.” Reid responded. “I think I’m gonna head home after this one.”

 

“You can stay if you like.” Hotch hesitated, hoping that wasn’t out of Reid’s comfort zone. “I can make up the spare room.”

 

Reid paused before responding. “A-Are you sure? I wouldn’t want to impose, when is Jack supposed to get home?”

 

“Not ‘til Sunday evening.” Hotch said. “It’s no trouble, it’s pretty late. It’d be a pain to have to drive home this late. Especially when it’s raining.”

 

Reid looked at the window behind them. “Huh. So it is.” He hadn’t noticed the rain. “If you’re sure it’s no trouble, I guess I’d appreciate it.”

 

“No problem. I’ll go make up the spare room. Don’t worry about pausing it.”

 

Once Hotch left the room, Reid’s face immediately flushed bright red. He realized he just agreed to sleep over at the house of the straight man he recently realized he had feelings for. He dragged his hands down his face and took a large swig from the bottle of beer that he had been neglecting for most of the night.

 

“Hey, do you need to borrow pajamas?”

 

Reid nearly spat out his drink at the thought of wearing Aaron Hotchner’s pajamas. On one hand he couldn’t stand sleeping in something as stiff as his work clothes, but on the other he wasn’t sure he was bold enough to accept the offer. _But we’re friends, so it’s not weird. Just friends,_ Spencer reminded himself.

 

“They’re clean, I promise.” Hotch joked, putting Reid slightly at ease and earning a laugh from the younger man.

 

“Yeah, sure. Thanks, Hotch.” Reid hesitated, but ultimately decided against correcting himself with the man’s first name.

 

Hotch came out of his room with extra linens, having already changed into matching Captain America pajamas to sleep in. Reid blushed at seeing him like that, and almost wanted to laugh, but immediately shooed away any lingering feelings about the attire.

 

It felt, to Reid, like Hotch was _trying_ to make him flustered. Everything he did made him blush even harder. Reid grimaced recalling that earlier he hadn’t even acknowledged his feelings. Talk about snowballing.

 

Once he had finished making the bed in the spare room, Hotch came back out and sat back down on the couch to finish the movie. He didn’t comment on Spencer’s deliberate avoidance of eye contact. Instead, he just stole a few prolonged glances at him watching the movie, which he has seen multiple times, slightly too intently.

 

The credits rolled around, and Reid yawned and stretched his arms out in front of him. “Thanks for letting me stay over, I had fun.”

 

“Me too. We should do this again sometime.” Hotch said without noticing Reid’s immediate blush. “It’s kind of cold in here, would you like an extra blanket? I have too many to count.”

 

“Couldn’t hurt.” Spencer said. “Seriously, thanks.”

 

Hotch smiled warmly at him. “Of course.”

 

He brought Reid a blanket out from his bedroom and handed him some plaid pants and a black t-shirt. “G’night.”

 

“Night, Hotch.”

 

Reid closed the spare bedroom door, holding his burning red face in his hands for about thirty seconds before sighing and changing into Hotch’s pajamas. They were soft and warm, but he stopped thinking about it before he caught himself letting his train of thought go in the direction it inevitably would.

 

He sat down on the edge of the bed and turned out the light on the nightstand, before nervously crawling into bed under the covers. He held the blanket that Hotch grabbed from his bedroom. It smelled like Hotch. Like pine and coffee. He let himself sniff the blanket once before spreading it out under the comforter and trying to sleep.

 

He couldn’t stop thinking about Hotch in the room next to him and what it would be like to fall asleep in his arms, no matter how many times he dismissed the thought. Eventually, around 1 AM, he fell asleep.

 

——————

 

Aaron shoved his face into his pillow and hid his blush, even though no one was looking. _What was I thinking?_ He hid his face in his pillow until he fell asleep.

 

Then he woke up and screamed and fell out of bed and immediately realized he can never talk to Reid again after tonight. _Oh boy. This is the worst possible outcome of this situation, like, ever._

 

He heard a quiet knock on his door. “Hotch? Can I come in?”

 

Hotch made the worst face. Somewhere between cringing and grimacing. “Yeah.”

 

“Are you alright? What happened?”

 

Hotch looked up from the floor and sighed, recalling the details of his nightmare was even worse than being flat on the floor looking up at his friend wearing his Captain America pajamas.

 

“I,” Hotch started, trying not to cringe too visibly. “I had a nightmare.”

 

“Oh. It happens. Do you wanna talk about it.”

 

Hotch wanted desperately to put himself out of his misery, but since that wasn’t an option, he had no choice but to explain.

 

“It was. Uh. It wasn’t anything serious. Don’t worry about it.”

 

Reid looked down at him concerned and realized he should probably help him up. He extended his hand and Hotch grabbed it, stood up, and sat down on his bed.

 

“Are you sure you don’t wanna talk about it? Sometimes it helps”

 

Hotch sighed and buried his face in his hands.

 

“It was just about Star Wars.”

 

Reid choked on his own spit trying to hold down the laugh, but he was still unsuccessful.

 

“I know, I know, I know. I’m so sorry for waking you up.” Hotch said stifling laughter, still hiding behind his hands.

 

Reid smirked. “Do you need me to tell you a bedtime story?”

 

“Stop.” Hotch buried his hands deeper into his hands to hide his flushed face.

 

Reid couldn’t decide whether to tease him some more or avoid prolonging his obvious embarrassment.

 

“Do you want me to tuck you in?” He couldn’t help himself.

 

“No!” Hotch grinned through his protest.

 

Reid had to bite his tongue to keep from saying anything more, because he was playing a dangerous game.

 

“Goodnight, Hotch.” He patted his head and left, smirking.

 

Reid sighed when he got back into the guest room. That conversation made his already inappropriate emotions so much worse. _Ugh._

 

———————

 

Reid woke up around 11 AM, to the sound of a car alarm and the smell of coffee. He rubbed his eyes and got his glasses out of his bag. He sheepishly walked into the kitchen to see Hotch drinking hot coffee.

 

“Here, I made some for you too.” Hotch said, handing him a mug.

 

“Oh. I uh… thanks.” Reid tested the coffee and was surprised to find that it was exactly as sweet as he liked it, and it embarrassed him that Hotch had noticed how he takes his coffee.

 

“You sleep ok?” Hotch asked.

 

“Oh, yeah. Thanks.” Reid replied. “Did you?”

 

Hotch winced. “Stop.”

 

Reid averted his eyes. “So, do you wanna watch Episode VI next time? We could do it at my house instead.”

 

“Sounds good.” Hotch said. “How do you feel about the prequels?”

 

“No.” Reid answered swiftly. “If you wanna continue watching sci-fi, we could do Star Trek.” He figured Star Trek is something Hotch would enjoy.

 

“Glad we’re on the same page.” Hotch laughed. “Star Trek is good.”

 

Reid looked at the older man and couldn’t help but stare at him. His hair was messy, and his t-shirt was old, but not worn. The scene felt so domestic. Reid blushed and tried to think about something else. Luckily a buzz from his phone relieved him of the awkward pause in conversation.

 

‘hey do you wanna come with JJ penelope and tara and i to applebees for lunch today. sorry for short notice’

 

Emily. If she knew where he was right now, he’d never hear the end of it.

 

“Is that Emily?” Hotch asked.

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Got a case?”

 

_Yeah, a bad case of I'm-royally-fucked-because-you're-straight disorder._ Reid thought.

 

“Nah. She wants me to meet her, JJ, Tara, and Penelope for lunch at Applebees.”

 

Hotch got a text.

 

“Oh. Me too.”

 

Reid wanted so badly not to show up in the work clothes he wore yesterday, but it was either that or Hotch’s t-shirt.

 

“I can lend you another shirt if you want.”

 

Reid realized that if they met the girls for lunch, either way, they were going to show up at the same time. And Emily would either notice Reid’s repeat outfit or his borrowed t-shirt. Unfortunately, Emily already knew he wasn’t busy today, and he felt bad refusing to go just to avoid some embarrassment. It’s not like there’s anything wrong with what happened. _Nothing happened. Hotch is straight. They all know that. So, it’s fine._

 

“Sure. Thanks. I can drive us and drop you back off here and get the rest of my stuff? Give you back your shirt next time I see you?” Reid suggested.

 

“Sounds good.” Hotch smiled. “Be right back.”

 

—————

 

Hotch returned shortly, fully dressed, with a plain black t-shirt in his hand.

 

“Here you go. You can wear your work pants from yesterday, right?”

 

“Oh, yeah of course. I was planning on doing that. Thanks for the shirt.”

 

“No problem.”

 

“Do you need a jacket?”

 

Reid winced. He _definitely_ would be cold, but he could absolutely **not** take him up on that offer under any circumstance. It’d be like agreeing to get in a coffin, six feet under.

 

“I’ll be ok. Thanks though.” Reid smiled weakly.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter... 3...

“Ow! JJ what the f-“ Emily gasped. JJ had a very good reason for punching her in the arm.

_That shirt is way too big for Reid. He and Hotch walked in at the same time._

JJ continued gripping her boss’s arm while waving at Hotch so the two knew where to sit.

“Let go, JJ.”

“Right. Sorry.”

Spencer slid into the corner of the booth followed by the other man.

“Hey, you guys!” Emily smiled. “How are you?”

“Good, good. You?” Reid replied.

Emily winced at the blonde pinching her already sore arm as if to say _he answered for both of them_.

“We’re great.” Emily replied. “Still waiting on Tara and Penelope. They should be here any minute.”

Hotch nodded.

“So why Applebee’s?” Hotch asked.

“This one really likes the chicken wonton tacos.” JJ said pointing to Emily.

Emily giggled. “Yeah. Pretty much.”

“Oh! Tara and Penelope are here.” JJ pointed out, waving at the two of them.

“Hello, my darlings. How goes it?” Garcia beamed.

“Hi, everyone. We carpooled. Penelope says my car uses too much gas, and the seahorses are dying.” Tara remarked.

“Right...” JJ nodded, knowing full well how both she and Emily had to be holding their tongues to avoid making some carpooling joke directed at Hotch and Reid.

Tara and Penelope sat down across from each other on either end of the booth. The group continued with lunch and talked and laughed until they finished. They split the check and their numbers dwindled until they were left with only Emily, Hotch, and Reid.

Emily was determined not to leave until she saw the two men leave together. _If they’re gonna go home together, they’re gonna have to explain it to me._ She looked across the booth and studied Reid’s expression intently while Hotch answered a question she forgot she asked.

“I have to go to the bathroom. I’ll be right back.” Spencer said, thoroughly freaked out.

Emily secretly reveled in the excitement of the chance to grill Hotch the second Reid made his way to the bathroom. Hotch knew this, and he did not look forward to it. The two waited until Reid was out of earshot.

Emily smirked.

“So.” She started. “Reid give you a ride?”

Hotch ignored the double entendre and sighed.

“Yeah. He was nearby.”

“How nearby?”

“Stop.”

Emily stifled a laugh.

“So, how long?”

“How long _what_?”

Emily raised her eyebrows. “Don’t make me say it.”

“You know damn well I’m gonna make you say it”

“Bastard.” Emily sighed. “Have you two been sleeping together.”

Hotch sputtered. _That’s blunt. Even for Emily._ He missed when Emily did not have even an ounce of the nerve she was shamelessly displaying currently.

“No. We have not.”

“Do you want to?”

“ _Emily!_ ” Hotch hissed.

“Well?”

Hotch stayed silent. Emily was one of the few people who knew he was bisexual. Not because he is ashamed at that fact, but because he rarely finds it relevant enough to tell anyone. He should have figured this is what she would end up doing with that information. _It is not anyone’s business. It is not Emily’s business. And it is certainly not Spencer Reid’s business._

“Quit while you’re ahead, Agent Prentiss.”

“Oh? Agent?” Emily laughed. “You’re not my boss anymore. I took your job.”

“I gave you my job.”

“I don’t think of it like that.”

Hotch laughed. “What do you want me to say, Emily?”

“Alright. I get it.” Emily smiled. “Just let me say this.”

“What?”

“Put your arm around him. He’s coming back.”

Hotch rolled his eyes.

“Hey, sorry I took so long.” Reid said. “We should all probably get going. I think the waitress wants us all to die.”

“You’re right.” Hotch smiled directly at Emily. “We should get going.”

Hotch extended his hand to help a very angry unit chief out of her seat. _You win this round, Aaron Hotchner._ She resolved to push them further into admitting the obvious. But to be honest, she wasn’t sure that they really needed the push.

Hotch taunted Emily by patting the younger man’s back in a manner that could _potentially_ be registered as platonic, but she would get the message. And that’s what counts.

What Hotch didn’t know was that the action taunted Reid in a much different, much more excruciating way. Even though Reid was driving, Hotch cordially opened the car door for Reid while waving at Emily.

 

Reid was about to leave Hotch’s apartment when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

“Thanks for giving me a ride, Spencer”

Reid jumped at the sound of his first name. _Play it cool, dumbass._ He wondered what Derek would say. He even considered, for a split second, telling him the way he found himself feeling towards Aaron Hotchner. But ultimately, he decided against it.

“No problem at all.” Reid smiled. “Thank you for letting me stay overnight. I’ll give you your shirt back soon.”

“Of course.” Hotch said. “I’d suggest we do this again next weekend, but... Jack. He’s a teenager. You know how they are with house guests.”

“If you’re not busy Friday, you can come to my place.” Reid avoided eye contact. “If you can get a sitter, we can finish the trilogy and maybe even start Star Trek.”

Hotch laughed. “Jack doesn’t need a sitter. He’s in eighth grade.”

“Right.”

Spencer waved goodbye and closed the door behind him.

In his car, Reid gave the borrowed shirt a sniff and headed towards his apartment.

_What am I thinking?_ He thought. It was like he was 22 again. Hopelessly in love with his heterosexual (and married) boss. _Hotch isn’t married anymore, but he certainly is heterosexual. That doesn’t help._ Reid sighed and let himself imagine holding his former boss, but quickly he shook his head and dismissed the thought. But it kept coming back. Again, and again. _How can I feel like I miss someone I never even had?_

He arrived at his apartment close to 4 PM and had trouble comprehending what just happened. _Ugh. I want to kiss him so bad. Fuck this._ In his head he wrapped his arms around the other man and kissed his cheek and fell asleep holding him. In reality, Reid was dreading next weekend. He did not want to spend the rest of his life hopelessly pining for a straight man.

Hotch waited a couple moments, sitting on the couch while Reid left. He wanted to text him. _Can I kiss you next time I see you?_ But he couldn’t. Not only would this amuse Emily to _no_ end, it would also put his valued friendship with Reid in jeopardy. And he’d rather have a platonic relationship with him than no relationship at all.

His thoughts were interrupted by a text from _Sin to Win_ , a contact in his phone.

‘ _talk to me about this, cmon man’_ followed by _‘im so goddamn bored’_

Hotch sighed.

_‘There’s nothing to talk about. Last night, Spencer and I watched Star Wars. It got late, so he slept in my guest room.’_

_‘guest room????’_

_‘Yes.’_

_‘booooo’_

Hotch sighed.

_‘Would you prefer I sexually harass him?’_

_‘honestly? yeah’_

_‘Can it.’_

_‘hotch i see the way he looks at you and i cannot envision anything going on in his head other than 50 million different ways to bone you.’_

_‘Oh, that’s completely wrong and inappropriate. Being friends with someone doesn’t mean you’re going to get involved with them.’_

_‘well. not with you and i. but you and reid are a different story lol’_

Hotch threw his head back in exasperation.

_‘Don’t say anything to him. Don’t freak him out.’_

_‘im not promising anything, clown.’_

_‘Clown?’_

_‘ttyl’_

_‘You will not.’_

 

 

 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> this one's short

“You’re leaving early.” Emily pointed out.

“Uh, yeah. I have plans.” Reid explained.

“Riiight.” Emily nodded and smirked. “With who?”

Spencer gulped. _Why is it your business?_

“H-hotch and I are gonna watch a movie” He rubbed his neck.

Emily laughed. “Oh yeah? You didn’t tell me you had a da-”

“Hey, you guys going out for drinks?” JJ loudly interrupted. She knew exactly what was going on and felt as though she owed Reid a rescue from her nosey girlfriend.

_God, I hate this woman_ , Emily thought.

“Thank you, JJ.” The unit chief smiled. “I really appreciate what you just did.”

Reid was lost. _Are they fighting?_ He rolled his eyes and said goodbye to the two women, blissfully unaware of JJ’s heroism.

“Come on, Emily.” JJ complained. “Really? Look at him. Do you really need to prod him more for an answer? Doesn’t he explain it all just with his expressions?”

Emily laughed. “It’s so sad.”

“Stop it, babe.” JJ smiled and kissed Emily on the cheek.

Emily blushed and almost protested, ‘ _not at work’_ , but JJ left as swiftly as she came. _Damn her._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hotch knocked on his door quietly, but Reid still jumped at the surprise.

“Coming!” Reid yelled.

“Hey, Spencer.” Hotch grinned. “How are you?”

“Good, you?”

“Great. Come in.” Reid said. “Can I get you anything?”

“Nah, I’m alright. Thanks, though.”

The two sat down on opposite ends of Reid’s couch. It was a small, grey, sofa with two cushions. Big enough to allow a space between them, but small enough to make that space slightly uncomfortable. Spencer couldn’t help himself from staring at the other man. He seemed so content. Star Wars was a good choice.

Every so often Hotch looked up at him, and each time, Reid averted his eyes. He was mesmerized by the way the light hit his face. The longer he looked, the dryer his mouth became. Everything about Hotch made Spencer sweat. Thoughts crept up incessantly about what he wished he could do, and each time he pushed the thoughts away. _Stop thinking about it. He’s a straight guy. Forget it._ Reid sighed and frowned.

“Something wrong?”

“What? Oh. Yeah- no. I’m fine.”

Hotch raised his eyebrows in worry. “Are you sure?”

“Yeah. Fine.” Spencer smiled at him to try and convince him of it.

Hotch looked down. “Alright, good.” He weakly smiled back, unconvinced.

Spencer avoided staring for the rest of the night. Aaron, however, couldn’t keep his eyes away after their brief exchange. He was both worried about Reid and hopelessly attracted to him. Why can’t he just tell me what he’s thinking? Hotch traced the edges of the younger man’s face, pushing down every thought he had. And there were _a lot._

Reid was still wearing his work shirt. He wore a red tie with an over-sized maroon cardigan, the glaring psychology of which Aaron overlooked. He was too distracted trying to hide his own feelings. Hotch thought about hugging him, he’d only done that a few times before. Each time reminded him of less-than-enjoyable circumstances. _Can I change that?_  He wanted to hold Reid for no other reason than just to hold him, but that’s not really a ‘just friends’ thing. _I wish it was_ , he sighed. _Wishing it was is not platonic._ Hotch shifted uncomfortably in his seat, drawing out intermittent glances from the younger man.

The movie ended and Spencer waited until the very end of the credits to turn it off, and the two stood up and headed for the door to say goodbye.

“So, busy next week?” Reid asked.

“Nope,” He paused. “My place?”

Reid thought for a moment. “Won’t that irritate Jack?”

Hotch sighed. “You’re right, it probably will.” He nervously rubbed his neck, not wanting to invite himself over, but not wanting to jeopardize the closer relationship the two had formed by not suggesting they do something next weekend.

“We can do it here again.” Reid said with a small smile.

“Sounds good.”

“Star Trek, right? I-It doesn’t have to be Star Trek, if you don’t want. I don’t know if you like Star Trek. If you have anything else in mind we could-” he stammered until Hotch interrupted him with his hand on his shoulder.

“Sounds like a plan” Hotch said. “I’ll see you then.”

He quietly closed the door behind himself and Reid exhaled the breath he had no idea he was holding. _I can’t feel my face. Does he have **any** idea what he’s doing to me? _He groaned, locked the door, and set his house alarm. Lying in bed, his thoughts were all about Hotch. _I can’t focus anymore. I need to stop thinking about him. He’s just a friend. Friends hang out_ , Reid told himself. He repeated it like a mantra until he started thinking about Buddhism and let that train of thought lull him to sleep.


	5. Chapter 5

Reid’s phone rang and he immediately answered.

“Hey.”

“Hey, Spencer. We still on for tonight?”

“Of course.” Reid smiled. “I’m looking forward to it. What do you want to eat?”

“Anything’s fine.”

“Chinese?”

“Have you gotten better with chopsticks?”

“I can use a fork if we’re not in public.”

“I’m glad. What time should I come over?”

“Whenever you’d like.” Reid said. “I’m ready whenever. I was just reading when you called.”

“How does five sound? That’s in thirty minutes.”

“Sounds great. See you soon.”

“Bye, Spencer.”

Reid blushed as he heard the call ending. _Did he seem eager to see me? Of course not_. He hoped Jack would be alright with another evening without his dad. _Of course he will, he’s a teenager now. Time flies._

Spencer did some last-minute tidying up before Aaron arrived. He fluffed the pillows and set out a glass of water and a bottle of Hotch’s favorite beer. He couldn’t be with him, but that didn’t mean that he couldn’t enjoy impressing him and seeing him smile now and then.

He jumped at hearing the buzzer.

He let Hotch in and let himself be bold enough, for once, to hug the other man. But strictly as a greeting, of course.

“Hello, Spencer.” Hotch smiled, hiding his blush at the prompt embrace. “How are you?”

“I’m great. We just got back from a case on Thursday. Unusually easy.” Reid replied. “How are you? How’s Jack?”

Hotch loved that he genuinely cared about Jack. “Jack is doing great. He was very happy to have the apartment to himself this evening. He’s grown up. He certainly acts like a teenager.”

“I wouldn’t know.”

“Spencer, you can’t make the same joke twice.”

“I didn’t think you’d remember. And besides, it wasn’t _exactly_ the same joke.”

Hotch laughed. “But you knew what I meant.”

“I did. I did.” Reid grinned. “Anyway, go ahead and make yourself at home. I got you a beer.”

“Oh, thanks so much.” Hotch looked away to hide his flushed face. “I appreciate it.”

“Of course!” Reid was ecstatic.

Hotch sat down and twisted off the cap of a decidedly not-twist-off beer, which made Reid both wince and blush at the same time.

Hotch noticed the other man gawking. He smiled at him and looked him in the eyes for slightly longer than he should’ve.

“Ready?” Reid asked.

“Absolutely.”

Reid picked up where they left off and didn’t notice Hotch shifting his balance slightly closer.

Hotch admired everything about Reid. He’s tall, he has nice hands, and he has the best smile. Everything he said was interesting. Even if it wasn’t. _He could talk for hours and I would never be bored. If I put my arm around him right now, what would he think?_ Hotch stopped in his tracks. Dial it back a bit. _Don’t be so impulsive. It’s just a crush. Is this even a crush?_

“You know, Spock, in the novelizations, was given a whole lot more depth.” Reid said. “It’s far easier to convey thoughts and feelings in writing.”

“Is that so?” Hotch inquired. “Tell me more.”

_I was going to anyway._ Reid thought.

“Well. You can kind of tell in the show, right? His dedication to Kirk is more than professional.” He explained. “Someone of Spock’s intellect still is not immune to the biological compulsions of his species. It’s interesting. Logic, rationality… you can tell that his socialization as a Vulcan is irrelevant once his bond is formed with Jim Kirk.” Reid explained. Hotch tilted his head in intrigue. He could tell he’s thought a lot about this.

“In what way?” Hotch asked, as a way of declining to allow himself to think about the obvious parallel.

“Well. In the novelization of the motion picture, Spock names Captain Kirk as his ‘t’hy’la’, a Vulcan term for friend, brother, or lover.” Reid looked away. “He refers to him with that term while prepares to undergo a ceremony, Kolinahr, to forsake all emotion in the name of logic.”

“Yikes.” Hotch sighed. “I wouldn’t do it.

“Aaron, you’re kind of like, Kirk, you know?”

Hotch choked. _Aaron?_

“In what way?” He stuttered.

“You’re both very passionate leaders. But you have a soft side. Kind of a womanizer.” Reid laughed. “One might think he and Spock are polar opposites, but they have their own way of being similar.”

“Do you think that’s just it? Spock likes Kirk because his humanity is fascinating?”

 “No way. Spock is one of the most bigoted aliens featured in Star Trek, aside from the Romulans.” Reid said. “Spock is incredibly intelligent. He knows as much about humans as he needs. If he were interested in studying a human up close and personal, he wouldn’t have to form a bond with them. Besides, the bond between the two of them goes farther than objective interest. And it’s just Kirk, even when he’s employed on a ship with over 400 humans aboard on a regular basis. They’re just close.”

“I guess that makes sense.” Hotch replied.

“Do you think I’m wrong?”

“Not at all. I’ve just never considered it that much.”

“When have I ever been wrong?” Reid asked.

“Do not make me give examples.”

Reid laughed. “Okay, I won’t.”

Hotch reached over to Reid and put his arm around him, barely noticing the action, it felt so natural.  _Am I drunk? No, I only had one beer. Reid had none_. Reid didn’t seem uncomfortable, he leaned into the embrace, almost relieved. _I must be imagining this,_ Hotch thought.

Reid’s heart seemed to halt completely. And he knew what that felt like more than most people. Considering he had been dead before. He felt his hands shaking and butterflies in his stomach. _Please tell me he can’t feel my heartbeat._

Reid thought, for a moment, about kissing Hotch. But again, he dismissed the thought as quickly as he could. _He has his arm around you. Go for it_ , the occasionally reassuring voice in the back of his head shouted. Reid cringed.

“What is it?” Hotch asked.

“Nothing. Just watch.”

“Is it the show?”

“It’s not that.”

Hotch furrowed his brow. “What is it then?”

“Nothing.” Reid turned to him and smiled. He yawned and stretched his cardigan tighter across his chest, wanting to grab a blanket, but not wanting to risk getting up and coming back with a mile between them. He shifted closer into Hotch’s chest, hoping neither found a reason to get up.

Hotch didn’t pack a change of clothes, but he was too comfortable and too tired to wake Reid up. He had fallen asleep on Hotch’s shoulder. The older man resolved to just stay the night. He sent Jack a quick text to let him know he’d be back tomorrow morning, and was somewhat irritated by his son’s immediate response just past midnight. _He should’ve been in bed at least an hour ago._ He made a mental note to ask Jack to put his phone away that late at night.

He shifted to a more comfortable position on the couch and buried his face in Reid’s hair. It smelled like lavender shampoo. _Ugh. Why do you have to make me want to kiss you so bad?_ Hotch fell asleep irritated about letting himself develop such a childish crush at the age of 47.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok obviously im a trekkie what did you expect


	6. Chapter 6

Reid woke up first. Hotch was still tightly gripping him, even in a deep sleep. His face was buried in the younger man’s shoulders and his arms wrapped tightly around the small of his back. Spencer laid there a little longer than he needed to, enjoying the _clearly accidental_ embrace of his former boss. He nestled his face in Hotch’s hair. Before he knew it, he was asleep again, his arms wrapped around the older man and clutching his shirt.

Hotch yawned as his eyes fluttered open, feeling the warmth of Reid’s arms around him. He pulled Spencer in closer and leaned into the crook of his neck. _How can he be so close, yet I still can’t have him?_ He wanted to kiss his neck, hold him longer, but he knew he couldn’t. _He doesn’t think about me like that._

Hotch carefully removed his hands from around the other man, he lightly tapped Reid’s shoulders.

“Hey, you sleep well?” He whispered.

“Wh-” Reid slurred, still half asleep. “Uh, yeah. Yeah.” He said, realizing where he was.

He was completely frozen. _Pushing him away makes it look like I don’t want this. Pulling him closer will give me away. Please, Hotch, do something._

Aaron ran his hand down Spencer’s arm, breaking the touch off before he reached his hand, and propped himself up on the couch. Reid pretended not to watch the way the light reflected against his former boss’s hazel eyes as he adjusted himself to sit up the way Hotch did.

“So, Aaron, do you, uh…” Spencer started. “Do you want some coffee? Maybe some tea?”

He smiled widely. “Whatever you’re having sounds great.”

Reid felt his heart jump out of his chest. _Is that flirting? Is he flirting with me?_ Normally, he’d make a definitive choice, but he’s in an unusually good mood. _And he mentioned what **I’m** having unnecessarily, _Reid thought _._ He got up from the couch and stretched, prompting an unnoticed, flustered stare from Hotch. _Why did he stay the night? He could’ve left. Usually, anyone would, unless…_ Reid stopped in his tracks. He put the tea kettle on the stove and waited, leaning against the counter. He jumped when he noticed Aaron standing in the kitchen doorway texting someone, probably Jack.

“How’d you sleep?” Reid asked.

“Very well, thanks.” Hotch replied with a warm smile.

_Why, why, why, why, why, why? I can’t tell if you’re flirting with me or just being a nice person or just trying to torture me,_ Reid thought.

“The,” Reid gulped. “The couch wasn’t uncomfortable?”

“It was perfect.”

_Stop it, please. Why me?_ He jerked around to the sound of the tea kettle whistling. _Saved by the bell._

Hotch shifted uncomfortably and hesitated before sitting down at Reid’s kitchen table.

“Here’s your tea.” Reid slowly handed him the mug. “Careful, it’s hot.”

“Thanks, Spencer.” Hotch said as Reid sat down at the table across from him.

They sat in silence for a bit, enjoying each other’s company, yet still avoiding eye contact.

“So, I, uh,” He hesitated. “I was wondering if you’re busy next Friday.”

Reid raised his eyebrows in confusion. _Why does he seem so nervous? Haven’t we done this like 10 times before?_

“Uh, no. I’m not busy. Did you wanna do something?”

“Yeah, I mean, if you do, we’ve been getting together a lot lately. I understand if you’d rather not.”

_Why is he so nervous? Of course, I want to see him. So bad._

“I’m up for anything.” Reid kicked himself mentally. _Anything?_ “Were you thinking of watching another movie together? Or doing something with the rest of the BAU?” He threw that last bit in for good measure.

_Damn it, Reid,_ Hotch thought.

“I was thinking… I was thinking we could do dinner.” Hotch held his breath.

Spencer froze. _I can’t do this. This is too much. Not this._ He hesitated but couldn’t bring himself to come up with a response.

To Hotch, it felt like hours. _Did I go too far? It’s not like dinner is out of the ordinary. Does he know?_

“Like,” Reid started. “Like, um… Like a date?” He laughed uncomfortably. _If he didn’t mean it like that, maybe I can play it off as a joke,_ he reasoned with himself. _No, he’s too smart to believe that._

Hotch looked down at the mug he was holding and cleared his throat. “Yes. Kind of like a date.”

Reid stared incredulously at the other man, who was still avoiding eye contact.

“Um,” Reid exhaled. “I’d like that.”

Hotch looked up at him. “You sure?”

“I am.”

Hotch quietly laughed in relief. “Where do you want to go?”

“A-Anywhere is fine.”

“Chinese?”

Reid took a sharp breath. “I still can’t… use ch-”

Hotch laughed. “I get it. Wanna try that new Italian place down by my office?”

“Yeah. I do.” Reid smiled at him, briefly, before standing up and pushing in his chair. “Are you finished with your tea?”

“Yeah, thank you.” Hotch looked up at him and handed him the empty mug. “I have to use the bathroom; I’ll be right back.”

Reid stood stunned, rinsing and over-rinsing the dishes. _He just asked me on a date? Did Emily put him up to this?_ Reid pulled out his phone and shot his boss a text.

_‘Did you put him up to this? – Reid’_

‘ _???_ ’ Emily promptly replied.

‘ _Hotch. Did you put him up to this? – Reid_ ’

_‘oh my god._ ’

‘ _what happened’_ She sent two in a row.

_‘You really don’t know? – Reid’_

_‘i swear to god i dont but i neeeeed to’_

Reid turned off his phone, deciding not to dignify the text with a response.

“Well, I should probably get going.” Hotch surprised Reid, he hadn’t noticed that he left the bathroom. “I, uh, I’ll see you Friday. I’m looking forward to it.”

Reid stumbled to walk him to the door. “Yeah,” He paused. “Me too.”

“Bye, Spencer.” Aaron said, as he closed the door.

Spencer stood in a daze, wondering what just happened.

“B-Bye.” Reid stuttered to an absent Hotch, staring at the door.

Aaron sat in his car for a moment. _What did I just do?_ _This is so much worse than just straight up kissing him._ He sighed and started the car, turning on 100.3 FM _far_ too loud. He wanted so badly to go back inside and just _kiss_ him already. _What if I did? Ugh. Stop thinking about it,_ He told himself. He jumped and slammed on the brakes of his parked car upon hearing his phone ring.

_Reid._ He watched his phone ring in the cupholder a few times before gathering the nerve to answer.

“Reid. What’s up?”

“Don’t leave the parking lot yet. I want to talk to you.”

Aaron gulped and stuttered out a small “O-Ok.” before Spencer hung up the phone.

Spencer jogged out of his apartment building and knocked on the window of Aaron’s car, gesturing for him to roll down the window. Hotch met the other man’s eyes and waited for him to speak first. _This is gonna suck._ Spencer hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

“Um,” He started. “Did you mean… like a romantic date?” He shot him a questioning look.

“If… if you’d like it to be.” Hotch averted his eyes.

Spencer stared at him in awe. “Hotch… Can I… can I kiss you?”

Aaron looked up, half-expecting to realize he had imagined the question. But then, he saw Spencer staring back at him through the open window, waiting desperately for an answer.

“Yes.” Hotch reached through his open window and tugged on Reid’s loose tie, which he was still wearing from the day before.

Spencer leaned down and pulled the older man closer to him, pressing their lips together softly. He had to restrain himself from kissing him deeper, but _god_ , he _really_ wanted to. The kiss was seemingly over before it even started, and the pair stared at each other, unblinking. Both wanted to do it again, but neither spoke for a few moments. Spencer straightened out his tie and cleared his throat.

“So, do you think you’d like to maybe move that date up to Tuesday?” Reid asked. “A-Assuming I don’t get a case.”

“Yeah.” Aaron replied. “I think I would.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if you wanna think 'oh no one is that stupid they'd realize that it's flirting' thats fine but just keep in mind I am. I am that stupid. we exist.


	7. Chapter 7

_‘Hey, we are going to Portland for a case, leaving tonight. Kidnapping case. I don’t know when I’ll be back. Emily is about to pick me up in her car. I’ll keep you posted. – Reid.’_

Hotch frowned upon waking up and seeing the text, sent at 3 AM. It upset him for two reasons, the kidnapping, obviously, and likely not being able to see Reid on Tuesday. He was preparing to drive Jack to school and head to his office, a small law firm run by only a few people. Since retiring from the FBI, he needed something to do while his son went to school, considering his workaholic tendencies. He began taking small businesses as clients, just for something to do. If needed, he could work from home, so he was very happy with the job.

He woke his son up with as little resistance as he could get from an adolescent boy and began his morning routine, taking a shower, making breakfast, brushing his teeth, and eventually leaving to drop Jack off at school and head to work.

One might think his days at a job far less demanding than the BAU would leave him bored and unfulfilled, but he enjoyed paperwork and the predictable monotony of it. Today, however, he found himself unable to focus. He waited for any word from Reid, hoping to hear that they caught the guy and the kid was home safe. He felt selfish, partially, for part of his reasoning to hear that the case was over being _just_ that he wanted to see Reid, but he knew it wasn’t something that could be helped. Emotions don’t work like that. He excused himself from his work for a moment to end his train of thought before it ended up dwelling in his past. He heard a knock on his door and looked up to see the firm’s new secretary standing in his doorway.

“Um, sir, you have a call. I tried transferring it, but I’m still getting used to the phone system.” She stuttered, which surprised Aaron very little. He was aware of the intimidating effect he had on people.

Hotch nodded and got up to show her how to do it. One of his partners insists on having overcomplicated tech in the office, which irritated him. But he was used to it. He was grateful for the chance to get out from behind his desk for a bit to collect his thoughts and refocus. The rest of the day went by fast enough, but still no word from Reid. _Is he ok? Is the kid ok? Is Spencer in the field?_ Hotch pushed his worries to the back of his mind, however, because he knew the worst thing he could do would be overthink it. And he did not want to bother Spencer, especially during a case like this. 

Just as he finished gathering his files from his desk, he received a text from Reid.

_‘Hey. No luck yet, but we have some leads and no explicitly bad news. I’ll keep in touch. – Reid’_

Hotch sighed in relief and sent back: _‘Good luck. Be safe.’_

_‘I’ll try my best. – Reid’_

He made his way home, cooked dinner for himself and Jack, and picked out a movie for the two of them to watch together. It was Aaron’s turn to pick, but he always tried to pick out a movie Jack would enjoy. They ended up watching a comedy and laughing more _at_ the movie than _with_ it. Being with Jack helped his worry about the case in Portland dissipate. He was worried about the kid, and he was worried about Reid, but being with Jack took away another element of anxiety he would usually suffer when working that type of case. For once, he was able to forget his worries for the night and get to sleep easily.

The next day came and went, uneventfully. Wednesday morning, Hotch got a text from Jack.

_‘sleeping over @ jareds house tonight is that ok’_

_‘Yes. Did you ask his mother?’_

_‘yeah’_

_‘Alright. Have fun. Don’t give them trouble waking up in the morning. Can you get a ride to school in the morning?’_

_‘she says shell drive us to school’_

_‘I figured. Good. Tell her thank you. Text me if you need anything. Love you._ ’ Hotch sighed, somewhat disappointed he had the house all to himself tonight.

‘ _u2’_ Jack replied.

Hotch raised his eyebrows. _Oh. Not the band._ Around 1 PM, he finished his work and decided to head early when his phone rang.

“Hotchner.” He answered instinctively.

“Hey, it’s Spencer.”

“Oh, hey. How is everything? Everything ok? I didn’t notice it was you calling.” Hotch replied

“It’s fine. We got the guy. He didn’t make it, but the kid did.” Reid explained, sounding very tired.

“Oh. Good… when will you be back?” Hotch asked.

“We should be back tonight. Listen, are you busy tonight?”

“I’m not, but do you feel up to doing something?”

“Yeah, if you do. I’m not tired. Plus, I have about four hours to sleep on the plane. We’ll be back around 5:30.”

“Alright. If you’re sure. Do you want me to pick you up?”

Spencer hesitated. “Yeah. Just… park away from Emily.”

Aaron laughed. “Done.”

“Oh. Speak of the devil. She’s calling. I have to go. I’ll see you tonight.”

“See you tonight.”

Hotch smiled and put his phone in his pocket, eager to see Reid later. Yet, he was still anxious. _I don’t want to overdress. I don’t want to make a fool of myself. Will he be offended if I pay? Are we splitting the check?_ He shook his head and sighed. This was no different than other times he’s gone out with his friends. But it had been a while since he’d been on a date. Suddenly it felt like it was going to be a long time waiting to pick the other man up.

Eventually, 5:30 rolled around and the team arrived back home.

“Hey, Reid. You wanna grab some drinks with the rest of us? It’s karaoke night.”

Spencer shuddered at hearing the words come out of his boss’s mouth.

“Thanks, Emily, but I’ll pass. I’m a little tired.” He lied.

Emily leaned in closer, unabashedly studying Reid’s expression. “You have plans.”

“I really don’t. I’m just going to head home.”

“So, you need a ride?” _Shit, Emily drove him here. Meaning she knew he didn’t have a way to get home._

“N-No.” He stammered. “I’m just gonna get a cab. Thanks though.” He hurried away before she could fit any more questions in.

He headed for the parking lot on the opposite side of the building the team usually parks in, knowing Hotch would be waiting for him there, where Emily couldn’t snoop.

“Hey, Spencer.” Aaron smiled as the other man got into his car. “How are you?”

“Great. I just escaped Emily.”

“Ah.” Hotch laughed quietly. “I understand.”

“How are you?” Spencer asked.

“Good, good. I finished work at the office early, so I’ve been at home doing some laundry and reading since you called. Still wanna go to that Italian place?”

“Sounds good.”

Aaron put some music on to clear the slight tension and left the parking lot, soon to be met with various snippets of trivia from Reid about whatever song happened to be playing on the radio. Any anxiety he had about this date melted away as they drove and Spencer quietly rambled on about the Beatles, The Who, Yes, and other bands the radio played. Aaron happily listened to every word and every off-shoot topic Reid stumbled into.

As they pulled up to the restaurant, Spencer was the first to notice the parking lot’s high occupancy.

“Yikes. Probably a long wait.”

“You’re right… it is Friday night.” Aaron replied. “We should ask how long the wait is, anyway. If it’s too long do you want to go somewhere else?”

“Let’s see how long it is.”

Hotch opened the door for Reid and winced at the crowd while the younger man approached the host to ask about the wait.

“Lots of people had the same idea we did. It’s going to be an hour.” Reid explained. “Want to go somewhere else.”

“Unless you want to wait.” Hotch replied, and the two began walking back to the car.

“Where do you want to go? Hotch asked. “We could get takeout.” He immediately cringed at his suggestion, but he didn’t show it.

“That sounds good.” Spencer replied, prompting a sigh of relief from the other man. “Indian?”

“Sounds like a plan.” Hotch replied. “Want to go to my place? Jack is at a friend’s for the night, so we wouldn’t be bothering him.”

“That’s fine with me.”

The two arrived at Hotch’s apartment with their food and sat down at his table, sharing each other’s dishes and talking about anything that came to mind.

“Would you like to watch something?” Hotch suggested.

“What do you have in mind?”

“I’m alright with anything. We can watch more Star Trek if you’d like. We only have about one season left.”

“A-Alright.” Spencer gave a quick nod, before the two got up to put their food away.

Hotch handed Reid a glass of water as they both sat down, again, on opposite ends of the couch. _Back to square one,_ they thought. The two watched and casually conversed about various parts of the show, casually bickering about various analyses of the dialogue and plot. At times, it seemed as though they weren’t even watching the show.

Reid watched the older man explain intently why he believed what he believed about completely unrelated topics; their discussion had branched out from analysis of _Star Trek._ He couldn’t stop staring at the way his eyes gleamed in the dimly lit room and the way his mouth moved. _Stop staring,_ Spencer told himself. If the room was lit by more than just the tv, Reid would’ve tried harder to hide his flushed face. His heart fluttered and he fidgeted in his seat, unable to properly hide his attraction.

Hotch, however, was used to showing nearly no emotion, sometimes to the point of forgetting he should, and this only elicited more hopeless frustration from the other man. Hotch noticed Reid’s agitation and tried to figure out whether he was just nervous or if he was making him uncomfortable.

“I’m going to get a blanket from my room. I’m a little cold.” Hotch said.

“Should I pause it?”

“No. I’ll be right back.”

Aaron sat back down on the couch with a grey blanket and held a corner out to the other man, offering to share it. Spencer stared back at him, wondering whether he was just being nice or if he should actually take him up on the offer. _If he really didn’t want to share a blanket with you, he’d have offered to get you one,_ he told himself. He moved to the other end of the couch and felt a jolt as Hotch put his arm around him. Reid hesitantly wrapped his arms around the other man’s torso, discreetly watching his face to scan for a reaction telling him to stop, but his expression did not change; he simply continued watching the tv expressionless. Spencer rested his head on his chest. _Damnit, Hotch._ Aaron’s unintentional poker face put his Vegas heritage to shame.

Hotch rubbed Reid’s shoulder softly, and Reid took a deep breath to keep from revealing how his breaths had quickened. The younger man clutched the fabric of Hotch’s shirt, trying not to fidget too much. _Fuck it_ , he thought, and hee looked up at him and moved his hand to hold the crook of Hotch’s neck, prompting him to look into his eyes and turn his full attention to Reid. Hotch reached for the other man’s hair with his unoccupied hand and pulled him into a kiss. Spencer shifted on top of Hotch, who gave a light whimper into his mouth.

“Do you want this?” Reid breathed.

“I want this.” He stammered. “I really want this.”

Reid pulled Hotch’s hand above his head and held it down to the couch while his other hand crept up Reid’s shirt. The younger man clutched Hotch’s short hair in his hand as their lips clashed together, a sloppy, uncoordinated mess of teeth and tongue. Hotch stumbled around Reid’s belt buckle with his free hand, managing to undo it with the other man’s help; Reid let go of Hotch’s other hand and unbuckled it. He gripped Spencer’s prominent hipbones, gaining a high-pitched moan. Reid could feel Hotch hard underneath him; he purposefully pressed against him. Hotch breathed heavily and Reid moved from his mouth to kissing his neck, he gripped Hotch’s waist and continued pressing into him, each movement causing Hotch to jerk upwards.

Hotch guided Reid under him and switched positions, kissing his mouth again. He held Reid’s hair with one hand and his other wandered down towards Reid’s undone belt. He kissed him on his neck and his collarbone, trailing down his chest and kissing his hips; he felt the younger man’s hands gripping his back. Hotch repositioned his head above Reid’s lap and looked upwards at him.

“Is this ok?” He asked.

“Y-Yeah.” Reid answered in a raspy whisper and gripped Hotch’s hair, officially leaving any ounce of professionalism behind him.

\----------------

The next day, Hotch gave Reid a ride to work and did not try to hide a goodbye kiss from Emily. She had a lot to say, but Hotch shot her a look that made her keep it to herself.

That is, until a couple hours later, when he received a text from _Sin to Win_.

_“haha niceeee”_

Hotch sighed.

_“Don’t contact me again.”_

_“;) ok youre probably gonna be busy anyway”_

_“Maybe.”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeah they did it or whatever...


End file.
